An Episcopal (Anglican) Chaplain in the Saint Luke's Health System of Kansas City, reflecting on work and faith and life. NOTA BENE: my opinions are my own and do not represent the Episcopal Church or the Saint Luke's Health System.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Confession Is Good for the Soul - Not to Mention Credibility

Over the years I’ve
been blogging, I’ve cited a number of stories from National Public Radio (NPR).
I have said here and elsewhere that if I say I’ve heard something on the news,
it’s most likely that I’ve heard it on NPR. Now, I’ve been listening to NPR
since folks in the Reagan Administration called it “Radio Managua,” because it
questioned (among other things) the value of U.S. support for anti-Sandinista
paramilitary forces - the support that ended up in the embarrassing Iran-Contraaffair. And I know there are those who question the quality and/or the
editorial perspective of NPR.

I still find NPR
credible, and one of the reasons is visible in this report that I heard today. It is a
report on a report. More specifically, it reports about a series of
investigative reports, and how the NPR Ombudsman came to question the quality
of the investigation and of the reporting. In the end, the report today noted
that the Ombudsman raised his questions in an extensive report, and the NPR leadership
agreed on the one hand that the investigation could have been done better and
reported better, while also feeling that the conclusions of the investigation
were still valid.

Now, I’m sure
there will be those who cry, “See how perfidious!” and proclaim that NPR is
corrupt. I, on the other hand, am reassured. I respect an organization that not
only reviews its own work but publically exposes the results. This shows a
commitment to integrity and honesty, and a willingness to accept public
embarrassment to demonstrate good faith. This is not just a correction, buried
on the radio equivalent of page 3. It is self-examination, carried out for all
the world to see.

Any news
organization will have mistakes happen. They are, after all, human
institutions. I look forward to seeing just how committed other news
organizations are to acknowledging not only that “mistakes were made,” but also
letting the rest of us really see just how.